Howie (preview)

PREVIEWSet against the tumultuous history of the twentieth century, Howie follows the life of Howie and the Kretza family from the early 1900’s in Jersey City through two world wars and the challenges of the Great Depression. From the sweltering machine shops of West Side Avenue to the docks on the Hudson, from the exhausting work of commercial fishing to the sprawling Colgate company, this sweeping tale spans decades in the life of a family that keeps punching despite the odds.George, the patriarch, and his wife, Emma, have four children, all unique and headed in different directions. Howie, under the tutelage of his father and, later, a hard-nosed gym owner, pursues a career as a professional fighter while working backbreaking jobs in a growing city. As his training takes him closer to his first pro fight, Howie must choose between his dream of being a champion and the wishes of a loving mother who doesn’t want to see her son embark upon a career she considers savage.From one generation to another, from the battlefields of Europe to the war in the Pacific, from the glitz and glitter of Broadway and Hollywood to the coal mines of Carbon County, Pennsylvania, and from the restaurant business in a burgeoning city to a dank prison purported to be haunted by the ghosts of executed Irish laborers called Molly Maguires and at least one demonic entity, Howie will sweep readers through the lives of three generations of colorful and realistic characters guaranteed to elicit a panoply of emotions and a few chills for good measure.